Mindfulness and Values: A Randomised Controlled Trial to Promote Emotional Regulation in University
Abstract
: Background: University students and staff experience elevated levels of psychological distress, highlighting the need for accessible interventions that promote well-being, emotional regulation, and resilience within higher education settings. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the GestEm-U hybrid intervention in enhancing psychological well-being, mindfulness-related facets, and reducing psychopathological symptoms among university students and staff. Specifically, the research examines the impact of integrating mindfulness with values-based action and emotional regulation and observes how these internal shifts promote resilience within the academic environment. Methods: Students and staff from Ramon Llull University (Spain) were recruited (N = 188). Eligibility included being an active member of the university community and completing baseline measures. A randomized, controlled, single-blind, parallel-group trial was carried out. After applying the predefined protocol compliance and exclusion criteria, the final analyzed sample consisted of 45 participants. The experimental group ( n = 25) participated in GestEm-U, and the waiting-list control group ( n = 20) received no intervention during the study period and was offered the programme afterwards. Results: Across most variables, the results were more favourable in the experimental group than in the control group both clinical and positive variables, however, statistical significance was reached only for well-being, the primary outcome (evaluated with the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, F (1, 43) = 4.48, p = 0.040, 𝜂 2 = 0.094) and for a mindfulness facet (evaluated with the FFMQ-SF non-judging of inner experience ( F (1, 43) = 8.02, p = 0.007, 𝜂 2 p = 0.157). Conclusions: GestEm-U is a brief and feasible hybrid programme that provides preliminary evidence of selective benefits for well-being and non-judging. Although these findings support the potential value of mindfulness-and values-based interventions in university settings, larger and more diverse samples with lower attrition rates are needed to confirm their effectiveness and generalizability.